Calvary Chapel Eastvale

“But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb.…” Luke 24:2

A man and his five-year old son were driving past a cemetery and noticed a large pile of dirt next to a freshly dug grave when the little boy said, “Look, Dad, one got out!” Every Easter, we come to celebrate the central aspect of Christianity. The foundation of the Christians faith is the empty tomb. The truth is that the grave could not hold Him. The stone was rolled away not to let Jesus out, but to let all those in the garden tomb in to be witness that Jesus had risen. In 1901 Abraham Lincoln’s casket was opened because it was feared that his body was not there. Christ’s tomb was opened to prove He is not there. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die (physically), he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11) Because Christ died and rose, we can have the hope of heaven. Our bodies will cease to function one day, but there is life beyond the grave (1 Corinthians 15:54–55). Christ’s resurrection guarantees that all of His followers will be resurrected as well. Because Jesus rose, we too will rise. He promised, “Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19). If you have put your faith in the risen Lord, then you will live again. You no longer need to fear death. Because He came back in a resurrected body, He has given us the assurance that God will give each of us a glorified body one day. Next time you drive past a cemetery, think of the One Whom the grave could not hold.

“Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still…”

Luke 7:14

By Pastor Dennis Morales

There is no arguing that one of the most painful occurrences in life is losing a loved one. Jesus came upon a widow who had just lost her only son. . According to old Jewish custom, the women would precede a funeral procession because women were believed to have brought death into the world in the line of Eve. This widow would be the first person He would see and He looked at her with compassion (Luke 7:13). It was custom for family members and friends to come and touch the coffin, which would halt the procession, and say a few words of comfort to the survived. Then the procession would continue. According to custom, Jesus stood at the procession and touched the coffin. Jesus tells the woman “do not weep.” He then tells the young man in the coffin to “get up.” “So that he who was dead sat up and began to speak” (Luke 7:15). What Jesus did was unprecedented. Under normal circumstances the funeral procession would have continued. But when Jesus stopped the funeral procession, and it never continued! Jesus essentially stopped death in its tracks. This is what Jesus has done for all mankind through the Cross. He has halted the effect of sin and eternal death upon all those who believe in Him (Jn 3:16). Jesus’ death on the Cross defeated sin and He further punctuates this by His Rising from the dead. In this is the Easter message. (1 Corinthians 15:21-22, 55-57)

Throughout his administration, Abraham Lincoln was a president under fire, especially during the scarring years of the Civil War. And though he knew he would make errors of office, he resolved never to compromise his integrity. So strong was this resolve that he once said, “I desire so to conduct the affairs of this administration that if at the end, when I come to lay down the reins of power, I have lost every other friend on earth, I shall at least have one friend left, and that friend shall be down inside of me.” Proverbs says that a “friend loves at all times” (proverbs 17:17). True friendship has a tremendous effect in life. Research says that having strong and stable friendships can help us to manage stress, which can have a dramatically impact on our physical health. If you know that you’ll have people by your side in times of worry, it can make a huge difference when trying to manage the situation. Jesus spoke highly of both love and friendship. Jesus said loving one another is a mark of knowing Him. “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (Jn 13:35). As you read the famous 1 Corinthians 13 love chapter, we see words in our language that qualify as descriptors or adjectives. In the original Greek language, these words are action words. John 15:13 says “greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” God, with love in action, sent His Son. His Son actively loved by sacrificing His life for all mankind (John 3:16), so that we can have the hope of Heaven.

“Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth…” Luke 2:1-5

I ran across a quote that read “IRS auditor to taxpayer, as nurse prepares a syringe: “She is going to numb the area around your wallet.” In most cases, when we hear the word tax, our minds do go to our wallets. It was no accident that Dr. Luke mentioned the name of Caesar Augustus. This man signed a tax bill that the whole world (of that day) be taxed. He needed money to raise an army to control his vast empire and to live in luxury himself.

It was prophesied that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem of the house and lineage of King David (Micah 5:2) 700 years before. Mary and Joseph resided in Nazareth. At the very time for Mary to give birth, all were summoned to the house of their ancestry for the census (Luke 2:1-5). All who were of the lineage of David were to visit Bethlehem. Both Mary and Joseph are of the lineage of David, so both had to go to Bethlehem.

Precisely according to Bible prophecy, and God’s sovereignty, Mary gave birth to Jesus in Bethlehem (Matthew 1:21-23, Isaiah 7:14 prophesied 800 years before). Such an event rooted deeply in prophesy and is proven that man could not orchestrate something of this magnitude.

Joy came to the world in miraculous fashion. This was a taxation time in history where we look back at the and its forever linked to our hearts, not our wallet. God orchestrated when the Messiah, Jesus, was to be born into this world to save mankind from sin and instill hope forever into all who believe. He did this for you.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, Ihave kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7

Paul the Apostle is nearing the end of his life. He is contemplating the things God had called him to accomplish. This is his swansong. I am immediately impressed with the confidence with which he is able to say “I finished.” It’s been said that “a wasted life is really nothing more than a collection of wasted days. As God gives us life, each one of us starts the new year with the same number of opportunities—365—that we can choose to either use and invest in eternal things or allow to drift by without taking advantage of the gift we have been given.” I was walking through a cemetery after afuneral service and my eye caught a headstone that read “a life stillunfinished.” We would naturally say thatabout anyone that had passed from this world at a young age, but this wassomeone who passed at 78! I don’t wantto come to the end and think of all the things I should have done or the ways Ishould have stepped out in faith. Paulcalls life a “race.” My favorite racesin the Olympics are the sprints. Theseraces are literally over in seconds, but I am always impressed with the amazingspeed of the athletes. The race referredto by Paul is likened to a “long distance” run. A long distance run takes faith, endurance, and focus. Jesus “for the joy that was set before Himendured the cross, despising the shame.” (Hebrews 12:2). God calls us to focus and invest in thingsthat matter so that we might finish well.

My two boys have just moved up another grade in school. It’s really hard to assimilate sometimes in my parental cortex, but they are growing. I couldn’t be happier that they are growing and healthy. Paul spoke to an audience dealing with stunted growth, not in a physical sense, but a spiritual sense. People had told us prior to our sons being born; don’t talk baby talk, because it will affect their maturity and speech. When Paul spoke to the Corinthian church, he said that he couldn’t speak in spiritual terms because they were still spiritual babies. They should have grown or progressed, but they were immature. They should have passed up the milk and gone on toward food that requires you to sink your teeth into it. Paul says that immaturity was evident because of the things that were happening among them like strife, divisiveness, immorality, and envy (1Corinthians 3:3). Their behavior didn’t change, and they weren’t maturing. Unfortunately, many people have never grown up spiritually. They made an initial commitment to follow Christ but have never really understood what it means to be committed in following Jesus. Saying a prayer of commitment to Jesus is not all a Christian life is. Jesus becomes Lord and you begin to understand what it means for Him to lead your life. Spiritual growth should not just be Christian radio listening to sermons or music but cutting into your own food. We need to learn how to feed ourselves the spiritual food. Your foundation starts with your Bible. The Bible is likened to bread (Matthew 4:4), meat (Hebrews 5:11-14), and even Honey (Ps 119:103). As we take steps closer to God, we experience His goodness, grace and glory in our lives in new ways.

Be strong and of good courage…for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9

The children of Israel were ready to cross the Jordan into the Promise Land, but there was one thing in their way, the Jordan. It was Harvest and it was a torrent of rushing water and virtually impassible (Joshua 3:15). God instructed Joshua that they were to cross regardless. God added He will be with them and He would make the Jordan passable. In a “step of faith,” the priests were instructed to go first and to take the Ark of the Covenant and start the process. God said when the feet of the priests dip in the edge of the water that the waters would part. So God lead them and parted the waters the moment the priests dipped their feet in the water just as He said He would. God also told the priests to stand on the dry river bed until every last person had crossed. Why? The Ark of the Covenant stands as a reminder of God’s presence. He wanted the people to know He was with them as they passed through the waters. Where is God leading you? Does it seem difficult or impossible? Remember wherever God leads you, He will be with you. Daniel was lead to the Lion’s den as a result of his faithfulness to God but God shut the mouths of the Lions. Jesus told His disciples “I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20). God reminds His people in Scripture “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). God’s strength is realized in allowing God’s leading.

“And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see.” Luke 24:24

There was a city where a building wall collapsed because the foundation caved into an empty tomb-it was unknown and hidden when they built it. Now if the men intentionally built a building with a hole as a foundation they would be fools. When we look at God and His ability to “hang the earth upon nothing” we think differently. The church as we know it has a foundation that is in fact the empty tomb. If His tomb hadn’t been emptied there wouldn’t have been any hope. The empty tomb gives us assurance that Jesus is who He said He is. Jesus “was declared the Son of God (with power) by the resurrection from the dead” (Rom 1:4). The empty tomb is proof of acceptance of Jesus’ sacrifice for all mankind (Rom 5:18). The empty tomb means death is defeated. There is now no death for those who are in Christ Jesus! “Where, O death is your victory? Where, O death is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ”(1 Cor. 15:51-57). Because of the empty tomb, you and I, by faith in Him, have life today and life forever! He is risen!

My sons are 5yrs and 7yrs old. They are the best of friends. But even the best of friends can have disagreements sometimes. I was watching my boys play a board game then all of sudden they started quarreling. What were they quarreling about? They were accusing each other of not playing correctly. They both made the same argument. What was it? “You have to play it my way!” I think sometimes we are guilty of the same attitude when it comes to our decisions. Naaman is a classic example in the Bible (2 Kings 5). He was an army commander for the king of Syria. His wife’s servant girl was led captive from Israel. She suggested that he seek healing by consulting Elisha, the prophet. Naaman was ready to do anything, but he didn’t want to go to Elisha, he wanted Elisha to go to him. Because of his position, Naaman expected to be served. Elisha sent Naaman instruction to bathe seven times in the Jordan River. Naaman felt disrespected and refused at first, then later he humbled himself and went to the Jordan. That is when Naaman found healing. Naaman finally humbled himself and did things God’s way. That’s when Naaman found healing. How many times have you told God “I want to do it this way!” But later we always find that His way is the best way. “Selfish” pride should never be what guides us. Humility seeks God’s ways (Psalm 25:9). Though you may not always see the result in view, God’s ways make “better sense.” (Isaiah 55:9).

Be strong and of good courage…for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” - Joshua 1:9

The children of Israel were ready to cross the Jordan into the Promise Land, but there was one thing in their way, the Jordan. It was Harvest and it was a torrent of rushing water and virtually impassible (Joshua 3:15). God instructed Joshua that they were to cross regardless. God added He will be with them and He would make the Jordan passable. In a “step of faith,” the priests were instructed to go first and to take the Ark of the Covenant and start the process. God said when the feet of the priests dip in the edge of the water that the waters would part. So God lead them and parted the waters the moment the priests dipped their feet in the water just as He said He would. God also told the priests to stand on the dry river bed until every last person had crossed. Why? The Ark of the Covenant stands as a reminder of God’s presence. He wanted the people to know He was with them as they passed through the waters. Where is God leading you? Does it seem difficult or impossible? Remember wherever God leads you, He will be with you. Daniel was lead to the Lion’s den as a result of his faithfulness to God but God shut the mouths of the Lions. Jesus told His disciples “I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20). God reminds His people in Scripture “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). God’s strength is realized in allowing God’s leading.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7

Paul the Apostle is nearing the end of his life. He is contemplating the things God had called him to accomplish. This is his swan song. I am immediately impressed with the confidence with which he is able to say “I finished.” It’s been said that “a wasted life is really nothing more than a collection of wasted days. As God gives us life, each one of us starts the new year with the same number of opportunities—365—that we can choose to either use and invest in eternal things or allow to drift by without taking advantage of the gift we have been given.” I was walking through a cemetery after a funeral service and my eye caught a headstone that read “a life still unfinished.” We would naturally say that about anyone that had passed from this world at a young age, but this was someone who passed at 78! I don’t want to come to the end and think of all the things I should have done or the ways I should have stepped out in faith. Paul calls life a “race.” My favorite races in the Olympics are the sprints. These races are literally over in seconds, but I am always impressed with the amazing speed of the athletes. The race referred to by Paul is likened to a “long distance” run. A long distance run takes faith, endurance, and focus. Jesus “for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame.” (Hebrews 12:2). God calls us to focus and invest in things that matter so that we might finish well.

David, the author of this Psalm, writes eight titles referencing God and His reliability. He experienced God’s hand of protection and deliverance from his enemies and now David is worshiping God for His faithfulness during battle. I’m sure David sang often in battle. I heard it said of a young boy who was trying to pull a large weed from his front yard. Suddenly, the weed came out, root and all, and the boy was thrown back and fell in the process. A man happened to be passing by and replied to the young boy. “That sure was a hard pull!” The boy replied, “It sure is tough when you have the whole world pulling against you.” We can all feel what this boy said at times. The cares and concerns of the “pulling world” have a way of fading away in God’s presence. Pressures, demands, deadlines, and failures are no match for the reliability of God. He strengthens you when you are at your weakest point (2 Corinthians 12:9). David rejoiced that God was everything he needed to get through the most difficult of situations. When the battle rages or the world pulls, it takes strong faith to worship. But as you worship you will find the One supplying the strength to worship is your “stronghold.” God is closer than you think and He is “able to supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:19)

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7

Paul the Apostle is nearing the end of his life. He is contemplating the things God had called him to accomplish. This is his swan song. I am immediately impressed with the confidence with which he is able to say “I finished.” It’s been said that “a wasted life is really nothing more than a collection of wasted days. As God gives us life, each one of us starts the new year with the same number of opportunities—365—that we can choose to either use and invest in eternal things or allow to drift by without taking advantage of the gift we have been given.” I was walking through a cemetery after a funeral service and my eye caught a headstone that read “a life still unfinished.” We would naturally say that about anyone that had passed from this world at a young age, but this was someone who passed at 78! I don’t want to come to the end and think of all the things I should have done or the ways I should have stepped out in faith. Paul calls life a “race.” My favorite races in the Olympics are the sprints. These races are literally over in seconds, but I am always impressed with the amazing speed of the athletes. The race referred to by Paul is likened to a “long distance” run. A long distance run takes faith, endurance, and focus. Jesus “for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame.” (Hebrews 12:2). God calls us to focus and invest in things that matter so that we might finish well.

There was a danger for the priests to become very familiar with the customs and regulations of Temple practices. They would become so familiar that they could do things with their eyes closed. God told them to be careful of going into auto pilot with no effort, no thinking, and no responsibility. There had to be great care in performing the offerings of the day.

Though we hear some debt is good to build up credit, we try our best to part with it. Did you know according to the Bible there is debt in relation to love? This is a debt we are called to pay into daily. Jesus said loving one another is a mark of knowing Him. Knowing Christ transforms our thinking (Romans12:1,2). Jesus said “Love one another as I have Love you” and people will know that we belong to Him (Jn 13:35).. This command extends to all people. In the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37), Jesus showed that the command “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev. 19:18) extends even to strangers in need. It applies to people whom we may not especially like and to those who have wronged us. We do not necessarily have to like them, but we do need to love them and forgive them. As you read the famous love chapter (1Corinthians13), we see words in our language that qualify as descriptors or adjectives, but in the original Greek language, these are words of “continuous” action. John 15:13 says “greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” God, with love in action, sent His Son. Jesus actively loved us by sacrificing His life for us (John 3:16), so that we can have the hope of Heaven. We needed forgiveness. So Jesus, out of love, came to pay a debt He didn’t owe because we owed a debt we couldn’t pay. Pay some of that debt down today.

Some would say this has been a tumultuous year. One thing for sure, God’s plan is still in place. Nothing can change God’s plan (Matthew 24:35). During this time of year, we look back at the experiences that could form our future decisions or we can look to the future with concern. As we come to a point of contemplation, take comfort in why Jesus came into the world. I am reminded in Scripture that bringing glory to God was the chief purpose of Jesus. Following His birth, the angels declared the glory of God: “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased." (Luke 2:13, 14 NLT). When we look at the cross of Christ, it is hardly something one would say is glorious, but in reality Jesus came into the world to glorify the Father. The cross is possibly the greatest display of God’s glory (John 3:16, 17). Jesus’ goal was to see God’s purposes fulfilled, so Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice by giving His life. But what followed is even more glorious. He rose again in victory over sin and death. He set us free to a hope that does not disappoint (John 8:36, Romans 5:5). With Jesus in heart we hope of Heaven and victory in life. This is also glory to God. Now God has called us to bring him glory. We can pursue the things that glorify Him, bring unity, and reveal His character in our lives: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). Remember with a New Year comes new opportunities. Remember to give God glory (1 Corinthians 10:31).

"All the days ordained for me were written in your book…" Psalm 139:16

David writes that God looks at our life as looking through a book. He sees the beginning and end. He knows the exact days and hours to the second we will occupy our address on earth. The world recently lost three icons of the entertainment industry. 80s pop icon George Michael, and two very shocking circumstantial passing’s of Carrie Fischer and mom Debbie Reynolds within a day of each other. This sent shockwaves through Social Media and Hollywood as we know it. With the sobering sense of shock and loss, death can strike fear in the hearts of so many. This fear can lead one to go well beyond good measure to try to “extend” life. Though becoming vegetarian may be beneficial, we can do nothing to extend “the life of days” God has fashioned for us. I take comfort in knowing that God knows the “order of my days.” I cannot die sooner nor live later than what God has recorded in His book as He guides us through life. Better yet, God has given us opportunity to trust in Him and live in a way that death’s grip no longer has control over us through Christ’s work on the cross (Hebrews2:14/1Corinthians15:54). Scripture says “teach [us] to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12) Our tendency is to number years, but God says number “days.” Though life is brief, Scripture says wisdom is living for God daily. We may not know what the future holds, but we can never be wrong in trusting an unknown future to a known God (-Corrie Ten Boom).

"Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever" Psalm 118:29

Holiday mode is officially starting to kick in. I can already taste my mother in love’s famous Yams. But, I personally feel like I just packed up the Christmas lights! As I shop in the local stores, it already feels like Christmas (minus our June weather of course). You may feel inclined to start searching for the box of decorations, to start preparing shopping lists, or even get busy with planning the family gathering. Or maybe you have endured a loss or are experiencing difficulty and your “heart just doesn’t seem to be in it” this year. You may be in a position where you feel it’s just too hard to find things to be thankful for. It’s no wonder why Thanksgiving can often be overlooked. I’m reminded of a comic strip that read “Thanksgiving should come AFTER Christmas, then we’d have more things to be thankful for.” But we are to remember that, “God is good” (Psalm 118:29). We are also reminded biblically to bring praise (thanks) to the Lord “continuously” because He is always with us, especially when times are tough (Isaiah 43:2). Whether we are busy or experiencing difficulty, we are reminded to be thankful. Sometimes being thankful will involve sacrifice. The Bible says “Therefore by Jesus,let us continually offer the [sacrifice] of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name” (Hebrews 13:29). Regardless of circumstances, remember not to overlook the reasons to voice to God your thanksgiving.

“The gatekeeper opens the gate for Him, and the sheep recognize His voice and come to Him. He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out.…” John 10:3

We lost one of our sons at a crowded amusement park once. Absolutely, not a good feeling. Our family began shouting his name. This went on it seemed for about 1 or 2 minutes. Then I jumped in at the top of my voice and shouted my son’s name. A few seconds later, I was relieved to see a security attendant coming over holding my son’s hand. She explained that my son went to her and said he was looking for his papa. All of a sudden he began to say “Papa! Papa!” He then quickly took her in the direction of my voice. Out of a crowd of thousands, my son heard my voice. When God says something, it’s for good reason and worth obeying. When he calls, it may be to say “stop,” “go this way,” or it may even be “not that way!” His voice is one that calls us, guides us, and protects us. God spoke audibly to some such as Moses and Abraham, but God also speaks clearly through the pages of the Bible. There is a lot of noise in the world that can get in the way. The noise can be in the form of social media, TV, or even politics. But the more you read the Scriptures, the more readily you will know when God is speaking. The word “leads” in this verse speaks of “leading out.” He has the way and He is ready to lead you out of whatever you are going through and into His green pastures (Ps 95:7). “If you hear His Voice.”

“And the fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not be put out. And the priest shall burn wood on it every morning…” Leviticus 6:12

A first-grader wondered why her father brought home a briefcase full of work every evening. Her mother explained, “Daddy has so much to do that he can’t finish it all at the office.” “Well, then,” asked the child innocently, “why don’t they put him in a slower group?” I believe there is much truth to this. We find our fast paced environment creeping its way into our lives more often these days. We can walk into worship at church lacking energy and being a spectator rather than a willing participant. This may not always mean it’s time for vacation, but it may be an indicator to at least “slow down.” The fire on the altar of “burnt offering” was to never go out. If your time with God is dissipating, you will burn out. God is calling upon us to burn brightly for Him in our daily lives, but there needs to be fuel for the fire. The priests would throw wood on the fire every morning to keep the fire burning. It may be time to prioritize, slow down, and put wood on the fire. There is no greater fuel for the Christian heart than the Bible. In Luke 24 after Jesus rose from the dead, he met two disciples on a road and opened the Scriptures to them. After their encounter with the Risen Christ they proclaimed “did not our hearts burn within us while He talked with us?” (Luke 24:32) Make it a priority to get back into the “daily” practice of reading your Bible and praying. It will bring fuel to your life.